Best D in the NFL???

[JJDChE]

I was just doing some stat hounding and found something interesting. Out of the top 10 scoring defenses, the Patriots have faced the toughest offensive opponents by a good margin.

   TM    D RNK    PAPG    OPP O    OPP O    Point
                            RNK    PTS/G    Diff
---------------------------------------------------
1    NE      5    15.9    [B]13.8[/B]    [B]22.6[/B]    [B]-6.7[/B]
2    KC      6    16.1    14.7    21.0    -4.9
3    TB      9    16.8    16.8    20.4    -3.6
4    PHI     7    16.7    16.9    20.4    -3.7
5    TEN     7    16.7    17.1    20.5    -3.8
6    PIT     1    13.0    17.9    19.6    -6.6
7    SEA     3    15.4    18.1    19.3    -3.9
8    IND     2    14.6    18.9    19.2    -4.6
9    JAX     4    15.7    19.3    19.8    -4.1
10    BAL    10    17.0    20.0    18.6    -1.6

Patriots opponents are, on average, scoring 22.6 ppg (#1) and we've managed to hold them to 6.7 points per game below their season average, also the best among the top 10 defenses.

I think this is pretty clear evidence of how good our defense has actually been playing.

Also, we've played the #2, #4, #6 and #8 scoring offenses so far, tomorrow we're playing the #3 scoring offense, week 14 we're playing the #5 scoring offense (PIT) and week 17 we're playing the #7 scoring offense (NYG). We'll play every one of the top 8 scoring offenses this year (except ourselves, of course)

 

[chrisfx811]

I brought the very point up in Easterbrook's thread.
Relatively speaking, outside of the Panthers & Jags, both playing with backup qb's, Colt's opponents are meeting or exceeding their ppg average.
It's those 2 games that have the biggest effect on their #1 ranked scoring defense.
The Colt's are giving up 17.6 ppg in the other 5 games.
Their defense is still impressive, but I think it's getting overblown, especially in light of all the talk about how much tougher their schedule is.

Our defense has faced their opponents without significant losses on offense, whereas it seems like the Colts have been taking advantage of many short handed offenses this season.
Texans: w/o their #1 receiver
Jags: w/o their starting qb
Bucs: w/o nearly any rb's
Panthers: w/o their starting qb, and with the injured back-up coming in for the injured 3rd stringer.
Broncos: w/o Rod Smith & Javon Walker

 

[Omega Supreme]

You've got to factor in that the Patriots offense has been dominating the play clock as well. Offenses can't score when they're not on the field.

 

[Pat the Pats Fan]

You've got to factor in that the Patriots offense has been dominating the play clock as well. Offenses can't score when they're not on the field.

The best defense is a good offense.......

And then you have to factor in that our opponents are always playing from behind, a lot behind, and our defense goes into a mode of allowing scores, but only with long sustained drives.

 

[Ethan 55]

I figured this out and put it in another thread that got closed, but it's relevant to what Pat the Pats Fan said.

In the first half of their 8 games, the Patriots have allowed the opponent to get within reasonable FG ranged (the 35 yard line) 9 times. That's it. 2 of those were the result of turnovers that gave the other team the ball in Patriot territory.

Less than once per game in the first half have the Patriots allowed the other team to put together a drive. The first-half defense has been just about as dominant as the first-half offense. Most of the damage done against the Pats' D is in the 2nd half of games when the game is already in hand.

 

[patsox23]

GREAT thread. Thanks for the insight.